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Perseus Flies Again
Perseus Flies Again is the 13th short story which appeared in the anthology , published in May 1950. The events in the story take place during the Second World War in England. In the anthology, it is preceded by Intermezzo and followed by Potpurri. Synopsis A Hurricane pilot makes a forced landing in the pasture of a country estate owned by an eccentric Colonel and his daughter. The house has been repeatedly targetted and bombed by a famous German dive bomber pilot. The colonel refuses to leave and intends to take down the divebomber with his rifle. Plot (may contain spoilers - click on expand to read) Flying Officer Nigel Deane is out testing his Hawker Hurricane when it develops engine trouble. He hurriedly makes a forced landing at the only suitable place, a pasture by a country house. Nigel proceeds to fix his engine when a girl, Joan Rusby approaches. She is good looking but gives him a cold reception. Could he not have landed elsewhere? As it was his aircraft had frightened the mare and foal. The foal could have fallen and hurt itself. Joan asks Nigel to wait while she puts the horses into the stable before taking off. Joan has difficulty coaxing the mare and foal in so he helps her. With this exertion over, Joan warms up slightly and invites him to the house for a drink. There he is introduced to her father Colonel Rusby. There are many bomb craters around the house. The Colonel tells Nigel they were all left by a German dive bomber pilot named Rudolf Leffens and his house was the target. He gives him the background. Before the war, Leffens had made unwelcome advances to Joan at Davos. The colonel had thrown him out. Leffens had threatened that they had not seen the last of him. Now the war has started and the Colonel knows it is Leffens who has come back. The Colonel is sure it is Leffens because a friend of Joan's had sent an American magazine. It showed a picture of Leffens as a decorated dive bomber pilot with a dragon rampant device on the nose of his aircraft. The Colonel had seen this dragon device on the dive bomber on previous occasions when it had come over. He had already tried three times and missed. Nigel tries to persuade the Colonel to leave the house but the Colonel insists that he will not be forced, as a soldier, to abandon his position. He intends to shoot Leffens down with his assortment of hunting rifles. He takes offence when Nigel suggests he might not hit it. Lunch is over and Nigel makes ready to depart. As he is getting into his plane, there is the sound of a dive bomber approaching. He hurriedly takes off and heads for it. But the dive bomber is already making its bomb run. Will he be too late? Suddenly the dive bomber swerves, as though the pilot has seen him. The dive bomber attempts to escape through cloud but Nigel pursues it and shoots it down. Back at the house, Nigel can see Joan waving at him and the Colonel appears to be dancing in delight. Back at his airfield, Nigel receives a message from the Colonel praising him for his achievement. It adds that "Perseus did not leave Andromeda on the rock." Nigel takes the hint and makes ready to accept the Colonel's invitation to visit Joan. Characters *Flying Officer Nigel Deane *Colonel Rusby *Joan Rusby *Leutnant Rudolf Leffens Aircraft *Hawker Hurricane *Ju 87 Ships Places Visited *The town of Carstone is mentioned. Research Notes Publication History *Collected in Short Sorties, Latimer House, 1950 *Collected in Short Sorties and Sky Fever, Norman Wright, 2006 References External Links Category:Short stories Category:Other short stories Category:Adult short stories